»06/21/2011LIBYABishop of Tripoli: NATO bombs playing into Gaddafi’s handsNATO airstrike targets home of a loyalist of the Rais, killing 19 people according to regime. Archbishop Martinelli points out that the population wants an end to the bombing and is tightening around their leader. Representative of the rebels in China to find a way out of the war and forge economic agreements with Beijing.

Tripoli (AsiaNews) - "The Libyan population wants an end to air raids. If NATO continues to drop bombs and cause casualties among civilians they will play into the hands of Gaddafi, who is returning to be a reference point for people who right now feel the need for a leader. " This is what Mgr. Giovanni Martinelli, Apostolic Vicar of Tripoli tells AsiaNews,. "NATO despite admitting to killing civilians, continues bombing - he stresses - the population is disgusted by this attitude, which solves nothing." Yesterday, in the town of Sorman (70 km east of Tripoli) raids have destroyed the home of Khouildi Hamidi, among the most faithful supporters of the rais and much loved by the people according to local sources. The regime has claimed that the raid killed at least 19 civilians, including 8 children. So far NATO has admitted the bombing, specifying the military and strategic nature of target and denies any casualties.

Monsignor Martinelli explains that these facts distance any possibility of a diplomatic agreement before September, the deadline set by NATO for an end to military operations. The prelate said that "if the leaders of both parties do not resort to diplomatic means the future of Libya will only grow even more uncertain."

A source for AsiaNews, anonymous for security reasons, warns of the risk of an escalation of violence between the various factions which divide the people of Libya. "We must do everything to guide these people towards elections - says the source - otherwise there is the risk of an even bloodier war between tribes that could lead to genocide."

Meanwhile, the Benghazi rebels have expressed their condolences to the families of victims killed by the NATO raid last June 19. But consider the Rais solely responsible for this situation of war, which began to defend and liberate the people from the Libyan regime. Today, Mahmoud Jibril, head of external relations for the National Transitional Council, the Libyan opposition, arrived in Beijing to tighten economic partnership agreements with the Chinese authorities and present any eventual negotiations with Tripoli. Earlier this month, Abdel Al - Obeidi, Libyan Foreign Minister visited China to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire. (Sc)

EGYPT - ISLAMWhat Tayeb and Sisi said is big step towards a revolution in Islamby Samir Khalil SamirThe grand imam of Al-Azhar slammed literalist interpretations of the Qur'an and the Sunnah, as fundamentalists and Islamic terrorists do. He supports the urgent need for Islam's reform, especially in terms of teaching lay people and clerics. He also calls for an end to mutual excommunication (takfir) between Sunnis and Shias. Egyptian President al-Sisi chose to fight the Islamic state group after it beheaded 21 Coptic Christians, whom he called "Egyptian citizens" with full rights.

SAUDI ARABIA - ISLAMFor head of Al-Azhar, religious education reform is needed to stop Islamic extremismFor Ahmed al-Tayeb, it is urgent to come up with new educational programmes to avoid "corrupt interpretations" of the Qur'an and Sunnah. Islamic terrorism undermines the unity of the Muslim world. He blames Mideast tensions on a "new global colonialism allied to world Zionism". a speech by the Saudi king is read at the conference.